HRC plans August retreat, launches Black history statement and Native culture panel

The Human Rights Commission agreed to hold an August retreat to onboard new commissioners and prepare its next two‑year work plan. Staff asked for volunteers to form an ad hoc committee to plan format and content; Commissioners Ward and Bowman volunteered to help organize the retreat sessions.

"I love an all day retreat...but I think if we split it into two, then we can do, like, 'what is our plan' one night and 'what is the culture of this group' another," Commissioner Bowman said, arguing for a two‑part format to reduce overwhelm and deepen engagement.

Staff also described two new, multi‑month projects. Fabio outlined a "Black history context statement," a compiled preliminary document of Black history in Eugene that will be reviewed first by people named in the draft and then opened for broader public comment with guidance from a selected advisory team. "We are working with that team, to plan a community engagement process that will take the preliminary document and make it available for commenting," Fabio said.

Melissa described a Native Culture Engagement Panel that will meet quarterly for two years. "There will be 7 panelists, who have either their own lived experience of being Native American, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian, or who have experience with tribes or other native cultural elements," she said, adding that applications are open and will close July 10 and that panelists will be compensated.

What's next: Staff will circulate polls to schedule the August retreat and will include incoming commissioners in planning; the Black history document will be refined with community advisors before wider release, and the Native Culture panel application period closes July 10 with meetings expected to start in September.